Palm Beach County considers kratom ban

Palm Beach County is considering launching a public awareness campaign about the health risks of kratom, a Southeast Asian herb that is used in tea and other drinks at kava bars.

Palm Beach County is considering launching a public awareness campaign about the health risks of kratom, a Southeast Asian herb that is used in tea and other drinks at kava bars. (Mark Randall / Sun Sentinel)

Kratom users say drinks infused with the Southeast Asian herb deliver a welcome pick-me-up, no more dangerous than a cup of coffee.

But concerns that kratom is addictive and poses a health risk prompted the Palm Beach County Commission Tuesday to call for exploring rules for the ingredient offered at local kava bars.

Now county officials are researching potential regulation options that could include banning it – like outlawed synthetic marijuana and bath salts – or enacting rules about where it can be sold or even just warning labels.

"If it is anything that could jeopardize (safety) we need to take a look at it," said County Mayor Priscilla Taylor.

The death of a Boynton Beach man this summer ratcheted up the scrutiny of kratom.

On July 16, Ian Mautner, 20, died after jumping off the Southwest 23rd Avenue Interstate 95 overpass. His mother, Linda Mautner, has said that Ian Mautner used kratom and she has raised concerns that it contributed to his death.

Boynton Beach police are still investigating the incident and are awaiting the medical examiner's report, police spokeswoman Stephanie Slater said.

The findings of that report and the police investigation could help determine whether new rules are needed, according to Commissioner Steven Abrams, who represents southeastern Palm Beach County.

"It struck a cord in South County, where the young man died," Abrams said about Kraton. "It is an issue we would want to address."

Kratom trees are native to Thailand and their leaves have long been used an herbal drug, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Laborers in Malaysia chew the leaves as a stimulant and at high doses kratom can have sedative effects, according to the DEA.

While not outlawed under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act, the DEA says that kratom can be addictive with potential side effects that include nausea, itching, sweating, dry mouth and increased urination. Withdrawal from kratom can cause aggression, hallucinations and confusion, according to the DEA.

The Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition, created to help stamp out drug and alcohol abuse, has concerns that Kratom may pose a risk, Executive Director Jeff Kadel said.

"It basically alters your state of mind," Kadel said. "There needs to be more science done."

Kratom concerns are getting "blown out of proportion," said Chris Wendel, who was one of about a dozen kratom supporters who attended Tuesday's commission meeting.

"It is not any more habit forming … than coffee is," said Wendel. "For me it is just energy, my substitute for coffee sometimes."

Supports say using Kratom can ease anxiety and even provide a mild pain relief.

"It's not a mind-altering thing," said Peter Isaacs, who works at a West Palm Beach kava bar. He said kratom is a natural ingredient, not a chemical creation such as synthetic marijuana or bath salts.

Palm Beach County in 2012 banned the sale of synthetic marijuana, bath salts and other drug-mimicking products because of concerns about users potentially overdosing or having violent psychotic episodes.

Now county officials are considering following the lead of Sarasota County, which in February passed a measure forbidding the sale of kratom as well as synthetic marijuana and bath salts.